Temple University School of Medicine - Skull Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

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DEDICATION 10 DR. CAROLINA RETAMERO Professor of Psychiat ry and Behavioral Science “My teaching philosophy is to help my students fight the stigma of mental illness through understanding. I also try to help them understand what persons with mental illness are going through and make then aware of society’s trend to isolate persons with mental illness. I try to make them aware of the many important contributions persons with mental illness have made to society and that recovery is not only possible but should be our goal. There is no doubt that the road to becoming a doctor is extremely dependent on the support that we receive throughout our training. Family, friends, teachers, patients, and mentors all shape the way that we have grown and matured during these past four years. Family and friends help us through the tough moments and encourage us to continue. Teachers and patients give us the knowledge and experience that we will use for the rest of our careers. But our mentors give us a template for the kind of physician we aspire to become. Each year the graduating class dedicates the yearbook to an outstanding faculty member and teacher who has devoted him or herself to the task of medical student education. This honor is given to someone who shows a great interest in molding the future generation of physicians through their commitment and innovative teaching methods. The dedicatees do not simply convey information through words on a slide, but they go a step further to create new, interactive teaching styles that make us think differently about learning the material. They inspire us and guide us. They make us the doctors that we will soon become. This year, the class of 2012 has chosen Dr. Carolina Retamero, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, for her outstanding commitment and enthusiasm for medical student education. This great honor also gives Dr. Retamero the privilege of addressing the class at the 2012 Temple University School of Medicine graduation ceremony. Dr. Retamero grew up in Caracas, Venezuela where she lived until she came to the United States for her residency in Psychiatry. She excelled not only in academics during her school years, but she was also an award winning mi;ski1.1 5

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Graduation is a cultural tradition considered a rite of passage from one platform in a student’s life to another. It has its origins in antiquity where many tribes were found to be celebrating their passing from youth to adulthood through various customs and observances. Today’s graduation ceremony is a manifestation of this ancient rite of passage in the modern context. An important part of the graduation ceremony is the giving of the hoods. The origin of the hood lies with the Celts and the Druids (the Celtic priests). Among the Celts, only the Druids wore mantles which had hoods attached to them as a mark of their rank in the society. In the schools of the Middle Ages, the hoods were worn as a covering to resist the frigid temperatures. Gradually, it was integrated into the academic system with much symbolic significance. Now, the wearing of hoods symbolizes a kind of authority, a high standing, or to identify a new graduate’s institution and degree. A hood is always black in color, but the edges and lining have individual significance. The hood is lined in silk with the official colors of the institution conferring the degree. The edging of the hood is velvet, with a particular color representative of a field of study. The official colors of Temple University are cherry and white. The dark green velvet signifies medicine. One of the great continuing traditions is the presence of hooders - indiviuals who symbolically bestow the medical degree upon each graduate. The senior class chose four individuals to assist with the placement of the hoods. These distinguished members of the faculty were selected not only for their superior quality of teaching, but for their passion, hard work, and dedication. Each hooder has committed themselves to challenging the minds of medical students and encouraging future doctors to maintain integrity to the profession. It was from these mentors that we were able to become true physicians. Thank you Dr. Harbison for allowing us to become surgeons for at least 8 weeks of our lives. Thank you Dr. Reeves for always putting us, the students, first. Thank you Dr. Schneck for inspiring us during anatomy and setting the stage for the rest of our careers. Thank you Dr. Sterling for your continuous support and dedication to our learning. 4 n-MPl.K IMYI-RSITY OI; MI-DICIXK Sean Harbison, M.D., FACS Professor, Surgery Kathleen Reeves, M.D. Office of Student Affairs Professor. Pediatrics Carson Schneck, M.D., Ph.D. Professor. Anatomy and Cell Biology Professor, Radiology

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DEDICATION swimmer who participated in many national and international competitions. She attended medical school at the Universidad Central de Venezuela directly after high school. After graduating in 2002, she immediately began practicing in a rural Venezuelan town named Carayaca. As a new graduate, she was in charge of the government based medical facility 36 hours at a time while simultaneously preparing for Step 1. During this time she managed hundred of traumas, obstetrical deliveries, and illnesses, gaining an exponential amount of knowledge and experience in a short period of time. 61 i: in i: l i i:ksh n or ii m She finally began her Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences residency in 2004 at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia. There she was immediately impressed with the “instant gratification” that psychiatric patient care provided her. Two years later, Dr. Retamero found herself established in a new city and recently married. With a long-held interest in medical education, Dr. Retamero proudly accepted the position of Associate Clerkship Director of Medical Student Education for the Department of Psychiatry at Temple University in 2008. Her focus on “team based learning” included weekly psychiatry-themed Jeopardy games as well as small-group learning sessions for students. These innovative teaching techniques helped to increase the mean Psychiatry shelf exam score while allowing Dr. Retamero to do what she enjoys most: interact with medical students. In her brief time at Temple University,